1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical disk, an optical disk drive, and a method of playing back an optical disk. More particularly, the invention relates to an optical disk having a burst cutting area (BCA) in which data can be recorded, and to improvements to means and method for reproducing data form the BCA.
2. Description of the Related Art
A digital versatile disk (DVD), i.e., a conventional optical disk, has a BCA in a region inner of the data-recording region in which ordinary data is recorded. Basic data that is used to play back the DVD is recorded in the BCA. The BCA has a track width and a bit length, both large enough to reproduce data from the DVD without adjusting the position of the optical head.
Assume that a user inserts a DVD into a DVD playback apparatus. The apparatus rotates the DVD at a predetermined speed. In the DVD playback apparatus, the optical head emitting a laser beam is moved in the radial direction of the DVD to the data-recording region of the DVD. Focus servo control is thereby performed in the data-recording region. The optical head then scans the BCA, reproducing the data recorded in the BCA. The data is used to reproduce ordinary data recorded in the data-recording region. No tracking servo control is performed to playback the BCA. The BCA is an inner circular track provided on the DVD. The data recorded in the BCA has a fixed data format.